Amusement device



June's, 1928. 1,672,692

A. F. SCHIERBURG AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l I June 5, 1928.

1,672,692 A. F. ,SCHIERBURG AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 2e, 1.927` sheets-sheet 2 ...f @ffy .s

ttouw 11 v IM/vento;

' ment ivhose Patented .lune 5, k1928.

'AMUSEMENT nevica.

Appncat'inn :ned August 2s, 1:52?. serial 1ro. 215,632.

This invention relates `to improvements in amusement devices of the typey used at leasure resorts andkv Which V,are so constructed that their operation is dependent on the Skill i' the lala-reliq It is quite `common to have vamusement devices that present a moving object which wires. players.l a player hits one'or more of these tar-gets by throwing a vgiven number of balls, he .is givenI a prize. v y e l It istheobject of; this invention to produce an improved Adevice of this type which shall be provided With three vmoving targets that pass in succession byl an opening; In my present embodiment 'these targets are so 1 ade that they. "represent the three letters IMI and N. i that the l when they movepast the open-ing butrw'hich willfllover intoa substantially horizontal. planev whenv hitpby a ball. A e cans is lalso provided for lclosing an electric circuit when the letter falls into horizontalr positionanda lamp located in a C.bmpaftfront Wall hasua closure prof a ,translucent for trans arent area i l) the light.

foi, heating vided .Weth shaped ike the letterv that contro s Vvhen all three targetsaredoivn,

coinpartjfnnts tvill be illuminated and tie .were fWrN will be dismayed. If the player impers .dota ,less than three targets, the itord WIN Will be incoiiiplete;.m'eans is pievi-'Crea for retaining 'the lamps lighted as long asy :desired andffo'r extinguishing the lamps at the Vend of ea'cli play.

The above aiid other objects that may ap'-A pear ivli'en the description proceeds are attained by 'means of a construc'tion and an arrangement ofparts Williipw be de scribed -n detail, reference forthzis purpose 5 is section taken on liie 5-'5, 3; yalid rig. e a

section taken 'on line 4-4,

tiring diagiiili Yas atarg'etfor ,balls thrown Vby the Y* u The device is so nconstructed etters stand substantiallyl vertical the three" being had to the accompanying 'drawing in In the drawing I have illustrated the preferred' form ofmy invention Which consists of a, framework A that forms a support forethpe v,moving parts. As this framework is merely V a` support formed from angle irons', I will not describe they same in detail,v

but villme-rely identifyv such parts thereof as areqnecessaryfor ,the purpose of explaining my inventlon'. i Secured to the` side membersf, and 6 lof the framemare ,two transverse bars 7 and 8.A Twovshort barsQ and lOparew'secured to the vertical side of the transverse angle l8 and two similar bars 9. and 10a arevsecuredl to the vertical side of angle., lHorizontal yangle irons 11 and 12 are se'cured yto the vertical bars 9 and 10 and serve Las. supports for y.the bearings 13 and A shaft 15 journalled in the bearings 13 andv similairshaft 16 journalled 1n bearings 14.l Shaft 15 ctrries a sprocket Wh'eel17 and shaft 16 carries a correspondingl sprocket Wheel 18. In additionto the sprocket vheel4 18,A the shaft carries. a sprocket lWheel 19 that is connectedby means of a sprocket chain 20 With a smaller sprocket Wheel21 that is carried on the shaft .22. Shaft 22 also carries a belt Wheel oi-pulley 23 tojvhich the poiver for operatingx the device. is transmftted by means ofV belt tvhieh has Anotl been shown.l '.lhe shaft journalled in boxes 24.. carried on two verticalfangles 25 and 26 in the mannershown 3. Supportedfrom the framework ,are two .spaced guides 27 and 28 which are formedfrom U-shaped steel bars Whose'chaimels 29 face each other` in the man er shown in Fig. 3f .These guides are secured toth'eA framework by means `of yvertical bars 9 andl'O'that arev attached tothe transver'seybars 7 and 8`by ineansof brackets 31. sprocket chain 32 encircles the .tivo sprocket .wheelsy `17 and 18. Attached to some of the links ofuthis sprocket `cha-ih brackets I33 i which have ,lateral projecting sides 34 that engage in the channels of the guides in `the manner .shown in Fig. 3. Thesek brackets have each 'an 'upwardlynera provided with iaaijpzjsiadn sidel o the assembly.

the horizontal to the vertical position is assisted by means of a guide rod 39. 'Ihe apparatus is enclosed in a housing having a front wall 40 which has anopening 41 across which the targets 38 pass'during the operation of the machine. When the machine is in operation, the target moves from rightto left, Fig. 27 in the manner indicated by the arrow and on the lower side of the apparatus targets move in the opposite direction. The player` i s `given a certain numberof balls and throws at the targets during the time they cross the opening 41. If his ballstrikes the target, the latter will fall rearwardly into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3.

It is my intention to provide an electrical apparatus by means of which the player can illuminate some lamps located within lcompartments whose frontA surface is closed by means of a member having translucent and opaque areas which form the letters l/V I N. This indicator has been illustrated in Fig. 2 where it isdesignated by numeral 42.

For the purpose of lighting" the lamps 43 I have provided a contact mechanism consisting of three elongated contact members 44, 45 and 46. These members are supported by means of channel members 47 that are secured to the upper flange of thetransverse Aangles 7 and 8 and 'are insulated from the latter by means of pieces of insulation 48.

y Each of the elongated contacts carries a downwardly projecting bolt 49 that extends through holesin the flanges of the channel members 47 and through registering openings in the angles 7 and 8 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. insulated from the members 7 and 8 by the same insulatingl member that serves to insulate the channels 47 from thesetransverse angles. Each of the targets carry a contact 50 that is so located that it will engage one of the elongated. contact members whenever the taro'et is thrown into the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3. Whenever a targety is struck by the ball. it will fall rearwardly and the contact 50 will engage the elongated contact which will serve as a stop, the springs 51 serving as buffers so as to cushion the impact of the t rget. By referring to 'Fig'. 6 it will be observed that I have provided source of electric energy which has been shown a battery that has been indicated by reference nume 1al 52. A wire 53 extends from one pole of the battery to each of the lamps 43 in the indicator compartments 42. A wire 54 extends from the other terminal of each lamp to one of the bolts 49. so that the lamp is electrically connected with one of the elongated contacts. Another wire 55 extends from the other terminal of the electrical source to the framework of the apparatus and is consequently electrically connected with the targets and therefore when one ofthe targets is struck by a ball The bolts 49 are alsoy ving pressure to the pedal and thrown rearwardly until it rests upon one of the elongated contacts, an electric circuit will be established which will light the lamp 48 that corresponds to the target that was hit; for example, if the player hits the target carrying the letter WV, the lamp within the compartment whose closure has thev translucent portion representing letter W7 will be illuminated and this letter will therefore become visible. v In order that this lamp shall remain illuminated until all three of the targets have passed the opening I have provided a switch 56 for each of the lamps 43. The stationaryy contact 57 of each of these switches is connected by means of a wire 58 to one of the lamps 48 while the movable contact of the switch is connected l by means of a wire 59 with the conductor 55 orwith some portion of the framework to which this conductor is attached. The Construction of this switch has been shown in Fig. 5 in which the movable switch member has been designated by reference numeral 56a. This member is pivoted at G0 to a stationarv switch 'contact l61 and yis provided with an extension 62 that engages the switch base 63 and serves to limit the motion ofthe blade in one direction. yA spring 64 has one end attached to the movable blade at 65 and the other attached tothe switch base at 66. This spring is so arranged that ywhen the blade is inthe vertical position it will liel on one side of the pivot 60 and if the.`

blade is moved counterclockwise so that its end contacts with the stationary switch con.-

tact 57. the spring will be on the otherside ofthe pivot and will tend to hold the switch in closed position. The spring 64 will therefore exert a force tending to hold the switch open and after the switch has been moved to closed position will tend to hold it closed.

Each of the-targets 88 carry a bracket 67 that engages the upper end of the switch blade 56 and moves it towards 'closed position at the time that the contacts 5() leave the elongated contacts and vtherefore the y lamps 43 will remain illuminated after the' targets have passed from the horizontal position shown in Figuvvl to the vertical position in which they extend downwardly in the manner indicated in the same figure. After the player has thrown all his balls, the operator can movethe switch to open position by the simple ex'liiedient of apply- 68 whosefree end is connected by means of a rod G9' with the outer arm 70 of a lever that is pivoted at 61 and which has an arm 71 whose free end 72 is bent at right angles so as to `extend transversely of the switch blades and which will engage all of the switch blades at one time. Vhenever the operator moves the pedal 68,

he can therefore disconnect such of the` switches 'as have been closed by the targets. The targets are formed from a steel plate S8 and have their front surfaces covered by means ot a layer of telt 73 which is held in placel by means or a layer of canvas 74. rlhe lctters that are represented by the targets are painted on the outer side of the canvas 7l. The object ot padding the targets is to reduce the noise due to the impacty ot' the ball which iis-'used in playing the game, TWhen this game is played an electric motor or other power device is connected to the samek by means ot' a belt vvliich engagesl the Wheel 23. This motor rotates the shafts l and l5 and moves the sprocket chain which carries the targets. The targets will therefore pass across the opening ll and during the passage ot these targets the player throws aball which, it' it strikes the target, vvill knock is over into lthe position shown in Fig. 23. It the target is struck it will light a lamp in one ot the compartments ot the indicator Ll2 and it the player hits all ot the targets, the three letters lV l N will be illuminated, thus indicating that the player Won. It' the player, however, fails to knock over one ot the targets, the Word ll/TIN will he incomplete and the player ivill therefore lose. lt is apparent that a skillful player may be able to strike each one ot the targets with the balls allotted to him and therefore Win; Whereas a less skillt'ul player vvill miss one or all of the targets so that this game is strictly a game of skill and not of chance.

From the above it will be apparent that l have produced an amusement device Which is ot very simple construction and which is designed to attract the attention ot the visi tors at the amusement concessions and Which indicates in illuminated letters Whether the plaver Won or lost and which, in addition, l me; is 'lor quickly clearing the indicator signals at the end Ot each game.

Having described my invention What I claim as new is:

l. an amusement device comprising a. plurality ot targets, each representing a letter toi-ming a ivord, means for normally supporting said targets in vertical position, said means permitting the targets to be moved into horizontal position, means for moving said targets, a plurality ot compartments each containing a lamp, each compartment having a cover having opaque and transparent areas that cooperate to display a letter .vaen the lamp is lighted. and means whereby each et the targets Will light a lamp in one ot the compartments whenever it is moved trom 'vertical to horizontal position.

Q. An amusement device comprising a plurality of targets, each representing a letter forming a Word, means for normally supporting said targets in vertical position, said means permitting the targets to be moved into horizontal position. means for moving said targets, a plurality ot compartments, each containing a lamp, each compartment having acover having opaque and transparent areas that cooperate to display a letter vvnen the lamp is lighted, an elongated spring supported contact tor each target, means t'or making electrical connection between one ot said contacts and one of the targets when the latter is in horizontal posi tion, a source of electric energy having one pole connected with the elongated contact and the targetwhen the latter is in horizontal position, one ot' said lamps being connected in series with said source of energy and each target and means comprising a switch for closingthe electric circuit to each ot said lamps.

3. An amusement device' comprising, in combination, a plurality of compartments placed side by side, each compartment havinga lamp located therein, one side ot' each compartment being closed by a closure member having a transparent area outlinving a letter whereby said letter will become visible when the lamp is lighted, an endless chain, means tor moving said chain, a plurality of targets pivotally secured to the chain, means tor holding said targets pivotally secured to the chain, means tor holding said targets in substantially vertical position, said securing means also permitting the targets to be moved to horizontal position, a source of electric current, means for connecting one'of said lamps in series with the source of electric current Whenever one of the targets is moved from vertical to horizontal position and manually operable means tor breaking said connection.

1l. An amusement device comprising, in combination, a plurality ot compartments placed side by side, each compartmenthavingl a lamp located therein, one side ot each compartment being closed by a closure member having a transparent area outlining a letter whereby said letter Will become visible when the lamp is lighted, an endless chain, means for *movingsaid chain, a plurality of targets pivotally secured to the chain, means for holding said targets in substantially vertical position, said securing means also permitting the targets to be moved to horizontal position, a source ot electric current. means for connecting one of said lamps in series with the source of electric current Whenever one ot the targ ts is moved from vertical to horizontal position` said means comprising` an elongated contact. tor each target, a switch tor each target and 'means carried by said targets for closing the switches.

5. An amusement device comprising, in combination` a plurality of compartments placed side by side, each compartment having a lamp located therein. one side of each compartment being closed by a closure inember having a transparent area outlining a l ou letter whereby said letter will become visible when the lamp is lighted, an endless chain, means for moving said chain, a plurality of targets pivotally secured to the chain, means for holding said targets inf substantially vertical position, said securing means also per mitting the targets to be moved to horizontal position, a source of electricy current, means for connecting one of said lamps in series with the source of electric current whenever one of the targets is moved from vertical to horizontal position, said means comprising an elongated contact for each target, a switch tor each target, means carried by said targets tor closing the switches and manually operable means for opening the switches.

6. An amusement device comprisinfr in A37 combination, a supporting tramework,

means carried by the framework for supporting two sprocket wheels in aligned parallel relation, two endless guideways supported by the framework, one on each side of the wheel, a sprocket chain enclosing said t wheels, means for rotating one of said wheels, a plurality of supporting brackets secured to the chain, said brackets having projecting portions that engage the guideways, a target pivoted to each bracket, a stop for limiting the movement of the target in onedirection, plurality of elongated contacts extending parallel with the plane oit the sprocket wheels, a contact'member carried by each, said contacts being so located that they will each engagea separate elongated contact, a switch corresponding to each of the elongatedcontacts, means carried by the targets for closing the switches and manually operated means for opening the switches.

In testimony whereof I aitx my signature.

ALBERT F. SCHIERBURG. 

